Systems and methods for transitioning between user interface environments

• US 8,839,138 B1
• Filed: 12/21/2009
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Veritas Technologies, LLC (Whitehouse Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Pasqua, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow, Doon
• Assistant Examiner(s): VARGA, WILSON V
• Application Number:
  US12/643,181
• Time in Patent Office: 1,730 Days
• Field of Search: 715/703, 715/778
• US Class Current: 715/778
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for transitioning between user interface environments. The method may include determining that a user is interacting with a first user interface environment of a computing system and identifying a trigger associated with switching from the first user interface environment of the computing system to a second user interface environment of the computing system. The method may also include, in response to the trigger, swiveling into the second user interface environment by presenting the second user interface environment to a user in a manner that enables the user to interact with the second user interface environment. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for transitioning between user interface environments, at least a portion of the method being performed by a computing device comprising at least one processor, the method comprising:

determining that a user is interacting with a first user interface environment of a computing system, wherein the first user interface environment comprises a first virtual machine running in a host environment and a second user interface environment of the computing system comprises a second virtual machine running in the host environment, wherein the second user interface environment comprises a work computing environment in which the user is able to access data stored on a network shared with other users and the first user interface environment comprises a personal computing environment in which the user is unable to access sensitive data;

projecting, via a projection module in the host environment, a representative portion of the data from the second user interface environment into the first user interface environment while preventing a potentially sensitive portion of the data from being provided to the first user interface environment;

identifying a trigger associated with switching from the first user interface environment-to the second user interface environment, wherein;

identifying the trigger comprises at least one of identifying an attempt to access a calendar event associated with the second user interface environment or identifying an attempt to access an email associated with the second user interface environment;

in response to the trigger, swiveling into the second user interface environment by presenting the second user interface environment to the user in a manner that enables the user to interact with the second user interface environment; and

automatically initiating, from within the second user interface environment, the action attempted by the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing projection policies of the projection module, the projection policies defining which of the data are the representative portion and which of the data are the potentially sensitive portion, wherein the projection policies are established by a person other than the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

projecting the representative portion comprises displaying the representative portion in a graphical user interface together with data pertaining to the first user interface environment.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein projecting the representative portion comprises projecting header information for the email into the first user interface while preventing the body of the email from being provided to the first user interface environment or projecting a time and a date of the calendar event into the first user interface while preventing a subject of the calendar event from being provided to the first user interface environment.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

identifying the trigger comprises receiving a user selection through the first user interface environment to access the calendar event or access the email.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

swiveling into the second user interface environment comprises removing the first user interface environment from a foreground of a graphical user interface of the computing system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

swiveling into the second user interface environment comprises terminating the first user interface environment.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the calendar event comprises the data projected from the second user interface environment into the first user interface environment such that at least a representative portion of the calendar event is provided in the first user interface environment but a potentially sensitive portion of the calendar event is prevented from being provided to the first user interface environment.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the email comprises the data projected from the second user interface environment into the first user interface environment such that at least a representative portion of the email is provided in the first user interface environment but a potentially sensitive portion of the email is prevented from being provided to the first user interface environment.

10. A system for swiveling between user interface environments, the system comprising:

at least one processor;

a determination module programmed to direct the processor to determine that a user is interacting with a first user interface environment of a computing system, wherein the first user interface environment comprises a first virtual machine running in a host environment and a second user interface environment of the computing system comprises a second virtual machine running in the host environment, wherein the second user interface environment comprises a work computing environment in which the user is able to access data stored on a network shared with other users and the first user interface environment comprises a personal computing environment in which the user is unable to access sensitive data;

a projection module running in the host environment and programmed to project a representative portion of the data from the second user interface environment into the first user interface environment while preventing a potentially sensitive portion of the data from being provided to the first user interface environment;

an identification module programmed to direct the processor to identify a trigger associated with switching from the first user interface environment to the second user interface environment, wherein;

identifying the trigger comprises at least one of identifying an attempt to access a calendar event associated with the second user interface environment or identifying an attempt to access an email associated with the second user interface environment;

a swivel module programmed to, in response to the trigger, swivel into the second user interface environment by presenting the second user interface environment to the user in a manner that allows the user to interact with the second user interface environment and to automatically initiate, from within the second user interface, the action attempted by the user.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the projection module comprises projection policies defining which of the data are the representative portion and which of the data are the potentially sensitive portion, wherein the projection policies are established by a person other than the user.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein projecting the representative portion comprises displaying the representative portion in a graphical user interface together with data pertaining to the first user interface environment.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein:

identifying the trigger comprises receiving a user selection through the first user interface environment to access the calendar event or access the email.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the swivel module is programmed to swivel into the second user interface environment by removing the first user interface environment from a foreground of a graphical user interface of the computing system.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the host environment comprises a hypervisor.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

determine that a user is interacting with a first user interface environment of a computing system, wherein the first user interface environment comprises a first virtual machine running in a host environment and a second user interface environment of the computing system comprises a second virtual machine running in the host environment, wherein the second user interface environment comprises a work computing environment in which the user is able to access data stored on a network shared with other users and the first user interface environment comprises a personal computing environment in which the user is unable to access sensitive data;

project, via a projection module in the host environment, a representative portion of the data from the second user interface environment into the first user interface environment while preventing a potentially sensitive portion of the data from being provided to the first user interface environment;

identify a trigger associated with switching from the first user interface environment to the second user interface environment, wherein;

identifying the trigger comprises at least one of identifying an attempt to access a calendar event associated with the second user interface environment or identifying an attempt to access an email associated with the second user interface environment;

in response to the trigger, swivel into the second user interface environment by presenting the second user interface environment to the user in a manner that enables the user to interact with the second user interface environment; and

automatically initiate, from within the second user interface environment, the action attempted by the user.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the one or more computer-executable instructions are programmed to cause the computing device to project the representative portion by projecting header information for the email into the first user interface while preventing the body of the email from being provided to the first user interface environment or projecting a time and a date of the calendar event into the first user interface while preventing a subject of the calendar event from being provided to the first user interface environment.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the one or more computer-executable instructions are programmed to cause the computing device to:

establish projection policies of the projection module, the projection policies defining which of the data are the representative portion and which of the data are the potentially sensitive portion, wherein the projection policies are established by a person other than the user.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the one or more computer-executable instructions are programmed to cause the computing device to project the representative portion by displaying the representative portion in a graphical user interface together with data pertaining to the first user interface environment.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the one or more computer-executable instructions are programmed to identify the trigger by receiving a user selection through the first user interface environment to access the calendar event or access the email.